By Norm Munk

What happened Governor Walz, to One Minnesota, we can do better, by
addressing the workforce crisis for people with disabilities?

Compromise is necessary at times, Governor Walz and all legislators, but never at the expense of compromising others! Never!

The remarkable miscarriage of justice for people with disabilities and the elderly continues. And you are responsible.

This last session, while a few changes were instituted, it was far from a major shift of what is necessary. To address the workforce crisis for individuals with disabilities will take new strategies, and a major shift in policy, otherwise the status quo and the slow degradation of services to people with disabilities will prevail.

We have a workforce crisis and shortage of direct service professionals to work with individuals, not because there is not a workforce out there, but because we refuse to pay them a livable wage! This crisis has reached epic proportions and is making individuals more vulnerable!

Most legislators, except for a few champions still don’t get it. Or are not engaged. The Department of Human Services pretends to get it but remains remarkably ineffective.

Instead of DHS focusing on the workforce crisis, we have witnessed them for years kill, set back, ruin services for individuals with disabilities. And the outcome so far is gains lost, and individuals losing freedoms and worse off more vulnerable!

The majority of families, individuals, and providers have been fighting and advocating relentlessly for years, unwilling to accept or rollover, and ready to take up a new strategy. A new strategy is what is necessary to remedy and address the workforce crisis and now. Otherwise we will have Comcast like programs and mergers that will kill and water down services for all, in our local and community homes and day programs.

The need for respect, better pay, and a more stable workforce for our society’s most vulnerable is yesterday! Step up to the plate Governor and the entire legislative body!

This is not a partisan issue, this is not a bipartisan issue, this is not even a non-partisan issue, above all this is a human issue.

Governor Walz, I implore you to do better in 2020, lives depend on it!

Blessings to all that care, and are honored to know and serve individuals with disabilities.

-Norm Munk, Retired CEO, Partnership Resources, Inc.